Demonym
[DEM-ə-nim]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Greek, mid-19th century
1.
A noun used to denote the natives or inhabitants of a particular country, state, city, etc.
Examples of Demonym in a sentence
"He knew the demonym for a resident of Indiana is 'Hoosier,' but he didn't know why."
"I currently live in Australia, but I still claim my demonym as British."
About Demonym
A demonym identifies a native of a certain geographical place or ethnic group. Forming these words might be as simple as adding a suffix (Japanese, Egyptian, Parisian), or they could be entirely different words (Okie, Mancunian, Neapolitan).
Did you Know?
Demonym comes from Greek — "dēmos" meaning "people" and "onuma" meaning "name" — but the usage has changed over time. It used to be applied to a noun used as a pen name, such as on a pamphlet written by "A Country Clergyman." The term was resurrected in the 1990s as a descriptor of residency.
